Two Mounties capture gold in District 11 track championships

ORWIGSBURG — Stroudsburg senior Donovan Clay will make his first trip to the state track meet this year.

MIKE KUHNS

ORWIGSBURG — Stroudsburg senior Donovan Clay will make his first trip to the state track meet this year.

The Mounties' high jumper had to work extra to get there.

Clay got into a jump off with Nazareth's Griffin Schwab after both cleared 6-5, but Clay was the first to clear 6-4 to win the gold medal at the Class AAA District 11 track and field championships at Blue Mountain High School on Wednesday.

Clay was a fifth-place finisher at the district meet a year ago, clearing 6-0. Earlier this year he cleared 6-7 and made him a big favorite to win district gold.

"It's definitely good to have first place at districts with all of these competitors," Clay said. "I'm glad I'm headed to states."

After winning the Mountain Valley Conference title last week at 6-4, Clay said he was not satisfied with an improvement at 6-5, "but for now it'll have to do." Next week is a different story as the state's top jumpers will compete at Shippensburg University May 24-25.

"When I get to states, I'm going to have to step it up," Clay said. "I'm going to have to stay more focused because the competitors from all around the state are going to be better than everybody else here. I'm going to have to bring my A game."

Clay's teammate, David Clowney, won district gold in the triple jump with a winning leap of 46-1½. Four Class AAA boys qualified for states in the event, but Clowney was best of all.

"It was tough," Clowney said. "My legs were tired with the beginning round and then going into the finals, but I had my team support me with the clap and that helped a little."

Clowney had jumped 46-1 heading into his final attempt. That's when his teammates and coaches around the fence slowly clapped their hands as Clowney took off down the runway on his final attempt.

Now he'll go to states for the second time in his career. He jumped 44-7 a year ago, but has hopes to improve that distance.

"I'm excited and I'll try to better what I did last year," Clowney said. "It wasn't the best performance so my goal is to go down there, try my best, and try to place at states.

Stroudsburg sophomore Aspen Gaita will make her second trip to states in the long jump. Gaita jumped 17-4 ¼ to finish fourth, but qualified on distance. She did not get a mark at last year's state meet, fouling three times.

"I have to be more patient," Gaita said. "I was so excited the first time there."

There are several athletes competing in today's finals with state berths on the line.

East Stroudsburg South's Lauren Channer is the second seed in the 100, finishing in 12.67 during her trial on Wednesday.

In the girls 100 hurdles, PM West's Ramonia Benitez will be the second seed after running 15.45. Benitez jumped 16-11 in the long jump to finish sixth on Wednesday. The senior will compete in the triple jump today.

Jack Wathen of Pleasant Valley will run the 1,600 and the 800 today. The senior is expected to make a run at the school record in the 800, a time of 1:59.34. Wathen's personal best is 1:59.44. He will run the mile first, and then after about a two-hour break, run the 800.

"We'll see, I'm really hopeful for it," Wathen said of his shot at breaking the school record. "I found out I was the No. 1 seed, which I love it, but I wish I was No. 2 because then you have someone pushing you. But there are going to be plenty of guys right there pushing me."

Stroudsburg's Keyautay Aulder will be the top seed in the 100 today after running 10.90 on Wednesday in the preliminary heat. Eastburg South's Demetrius Lanier is the third seed at 11.01.